Sliding door locking device

Abstract

A self-aligning locking device for a vehicle sliding door assembly includes a sliding door threshold configured to be mounted on a door panel. The threshold is configured to slide along a sliding axis. The threshold includes a latch and a tongue at a car body-engaging end of the latch. The locking device also includes a groove block and a hook plate both configured to be coupled to the car body. Optionally, the locking device can include a switch sensor. The tongue of the threshold is configured to engage the groove to maintain alignment of the hook plate to mate with the latch to lock the threshold to the car body. The optional switch sensor can be configured to generate a signal indicating a locked state of the hook with the latch responsive to actuation of the switch sensor by the latch.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A locking device for a vehicle sliding door assembly, the locking device comprising:
 a sliding door threshold configured to be mounted on a door panel of a vehicle, the threshold configured to slide along a sliding axis and including a latch and a tongue at a car body-engaging end of the latch; 
 a groove block configured to be coupled to a car body of the vehicle, the groove block including a groove shaped to receive the tongue; 
 a hook plate configured to be coupled to the car body; and 
 a switch sensor, 
 wherein the tongue of the threshold is configured to engage the groove to maintain alignment of the hook plate to mate with the latch to lock the threshold to the car body, the switch sensor configured to generate a signal indicating a locked state of the hook with the latch responsive to actuation of the switch sensor by the latch. 
 
     
     
       2. The locking device of  claim 1 , wherein the latch is located in a plane oriented substantially parallel to the sliding axis of the threshold and the latch is joined to the threshold at a joining axis transversely oriented to the sliding axis of the threshold. 
     
     
       3. The locking device of  claim 2 , wherein the latch is configured to rotate about the joining axis. 
     
     
       4. The locking device of  claim 1 , wherein the latch includes a hook-engaging end and a door panel-engaging end on opposite ends of the latch. 
     
     
       5. The locking device of  claim 4 , further comprising a resilient member coupled with the latch and configured to bias the latch into a default biased position where the door panel-engaging end of the latch is engaged with the door panel and the hook plate is engaged with the hook-engaging end of the latch. 
     
     
       6. The locking device of  claim 4 , wherein the latch is configured to pivot to disengage the latch from the door panel at the door panel-engaging end of the latch. 
     
     
       7. The locking device of  claim 1 , wherein the latch includes a pin elongated along an axis transversely oriented to the sliding axis, the latch including a retention plate coupled with an outer termination end of the pin. 
     
     
       8. The locking device of  claim 7 , wherein the retention plate is transversely oriented to the axis of the pin. 
     
     
       9. The locking device of  claim 7 , wherein the retention plate has a width in a direction that is parallel to the sliding axis that is no longer than a diameter of the pin. 
     
     
       10. The locking device of  claim 7 , wherein the hook plate includes a recessed notch positioned to receive the pin. 
     
     
       11. The locking device of  claim 10 , wherein a width of the notch in the hook plate is at least as large as a diameter of the pin. 
     
     
       12. The locking device of  claim 10 , wherein the hook plate has a thickness that is smaller than a length of the pin. 
     
     
       13. The locking device of  claim 10 , further comprising a resilient member coupled with the hook plate and configured to bias the hook plate such that a default position of the hook plate disengages the notch of the hook plate from the pin. 
     
     
       14. The locking device of  claim 10 , wherein the switch sensor is located such that the switch sensor is actuated by movement of the latch when the sliding threshold has locked with the car body by receipt of the pin in the notch of the hook plate. 
     
     
       15. The locking device of  claim 7 , wherein the groove block includes a three-dimensional groove shaped to receive the tongue of the threshold, the pin having a length defined by a depth of the groove, a maximum outboard and inboard horizontal play of the sliding threshold, and a thickness of the hook plate. 
     
     
       16. The locking device of  claim 15 , wherein the pin has a mid-point along the axis of the pin that is defined by a distance between the sliding axis and the latch, a thickness of the latch, the maximum outboard horizontal play of the sliding threshold, and the depth of the groove. 
     
     
       17. The locking device of  claim 15 , wherein the hook plate is located at a distance from the sliding axis so that a centerline of the hook plate is aligned with a mid-point of the pin when the tongue and the groove are mated. 
     
     
       18. The locking device of  claim 7 , wherein the groove block includes a groove shaped to receive the tongue of the threshold, wherein a first distance between a centerline of the tongue and the latch and a second distance from the axis of the latch and the axis of the pin at the car body-engaging end of the latch are defined such that the hook plate does not interfere with the retention plate of the latch or the latch when the tongue engages the groove, and the latch does not interfere with the groove block when the tongue engages the groove. 
     
     
       19. The locking device of  claim 1 , wherein the groove block includes a complimentary cavity shaped to receive a resilient bumper fixed to the groove block. 
     
     
       20. The locking device of  claim 1 , wherein the groove in the groove block is defined by a flat bottom surface transversely oriented to the sliding axis, a first angled surface intersecting an outboard edge of the bottom surface and projecting from the bottom surface at a first angle in an outboard direction, and a second angled surface intersecting an inboard edge of the bottom surface and projecting from the bottom surface at a second angle in an inboard direction. 
     
     
       21. A locking device for a vehicle sliding door assembly, the locking device comprising:
 a sliding door threshold configured to be mounted on a door panel, the threshold configured to slide along a sliding axis and including a latch and a tongue at a car body-engaging end of the latch; 
 a groove block configured to be coupled to the car body, the groove block including a groove shaped to receive the tongue; and 
 a hook plate configured to be coupled to the car body; 
 wherein the tongue of the threshold is configured to engage the groove to maintain alignment of the hook plate to mate with the latch to lock the threshold to the car body. 
 
     
     
       22. A vehicle comprising:
 a car body; 
 a door panel; and 
 a locking device comprising:
 a sliding door threshold mounted on the door panel, the threshold configured to slide along a sliding axis and including a latch and a tongue at a car body-engaging end of the latch; 
 a groove block coupled to the car body, the groove block including a groove shaped to receive the tongue; and 
 a hook plate coupled to the car body; 
 
 wherein the tongue of the threshold is configured to engage the groove to maintain alignment of the hook plate to mate with the latch to lock the threshold to the car body.